Operation Infinite Reach

Operation Infinite Reach was a series of retaliatory cruise missile strikes carried out by the United States against al-Qaeda following the 1998 United States embassy bombings. The Americans launched strikes against al-Qaeda training camps in Khost, Afghanistan and against the al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Khartoum, Sudan, the first US preemptive strike against a violent non-state actor.

The United States suspected financial ties between al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden and the al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory, and it was alleged that the factory had been manufacturing VX nerve gas for his use. The US destroyed the facility with their missiles, killing one person and wounding ten. The US evidence and rationale were later criticized as faulty, as the plant was not involved in the development of any chemical weapons.

Meanwhile, the US Navy also launched missile strikes against al-Qaeda's Afghan training camps, aiming at preempting more attacks and killing Bin Laden. The installations were damaged (the Haqqani Network's installations were destroyed) and between 6 and 50 al-Qaeda and other jihadist fighters were killed. Later, the victims were said to have included 20 Afghans, 7 Pakistanis (Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba fighters), 3 Yemenis, 2 Egyptians, one Saudi, and one Turk, and they were said to have been bound for Kashmir. The strikes also killed 5 Pakistani ISI officers. Bin Laden was informed of the upcoming strikes by the Pakistanis, leading to his escape. Following the strikes, the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan reneged on a promise to the Saudi intelligence agency to turn over Bin Laden and instead strengthened their ties to al-Qaeda.